Kijamii and Good People Merge into GP&K: “MENA’s largest independent network”

The new network has been announced to be called GP&K, a merging of both companies’ initials, and is said to continue working independently.

In a year full of major regional acquisitions and mergers comes another major move, this time in the marketing and media production industries.

One of the most popular and leading regional creative production houses, Good People, are joining forces with Dubai Lynx’s 2019’s Independent-Agency-of-the-Year, Kijamii, to “form the largest independent (digitally driven) network in the MENA region”.

Good People placed 2nd at this year’s Dubai Lynx as Independent Agency of The Year, which was awarded to Kijamii.

According to a statement, “combining Good People’s experience in TV and Film Craft with Kijamii’s digital and social footprint, this union is set to give way to infinite possibilities in creative and production, including solutions and ideas that are empowered by the latest technology and backed by insightful consumer data, which is quickly becoming the industry’s most valuable asset”.

The announcement also comes right after another win for Kijamii who recently announced that they are finalists in 2 out of 3 categories for the 2019 EMEA Google Partner Awards.

According to an email blast a few days ago on the subject, “Kijamii, in the first year of applying, is among the finalists with 2 out of the 3 submissions for Video Innovation (President’s Ramadan campaign) and Growing Business Online (Ahl Masr’s Ramadan Campaign). Making Kijamii the sole agency representing the entirety of the MENA region this year and the only agency with the shortlisted charity campaign”.

“There is no escaping this in today’s day and age. If you want to survive you have to be digitally-minded, and if you want to be digitally-minded you have to join hands with technology. You need to be mining data and triggering technology with one hand, while writing scripts and drawing-up storyboards with the other,” states Good People’s cofounder Ali Ali in a statement released earlier today.

“With the rapid transformation in the digital space, it’s not an option but to have the best and most knowledgeable consultants, excellent & efficient production capabilities. And for that we are bringing together our digital knowledge, social creative, tech & media buying capabilities, with their superb creativity & production excellence,” said Bassem Elhady.

When asked about what led to the merger, Bassem told us “Over the years, we at Kijamii have been racing ahead of our peers in the market, constantly evolving our business and services from social only to social and tech, to media buying and creative. The merger with Good People presented itself as natural step towards creating the agency of the future”.

In an exclusive comment, Ali told us

“I think Tom Cruise said it best in Jerry Maguire when he looked at Renée Zellweger and uttered very slowly ‘you complete me’. This is really what this is about, GP and Kijamii complete each other. Perfectly.

We quickly spotted a number of synergies and complements. For one, we have a small to nonexistent digital offering, which is an embarrassment in today’s day and age. They have no serious TV and traditional creative offering. So we [sat] together and figured one plus one equals six. It was really that simple.

We also realized we wouldn’t be stepping over each other’s toes, or creating any redundancies, as there was very little practice in common. More importantly we noticed a striking similarity in our cultures, and way of going about business. We both believe in the work, and that the work comes first, which I would say will remain as our DNA for the new company.”